Sheet Pan Chicken Tikka

I’m in love with sheet pan suppers. It’s such a great concept – throw a bunch of stuff on a foil-lined sheet pan, pop it in the oven, wait a bit, & your whole dinner is ready! After dinner, toss the foil & you don’t even have to wash the pan!

This is the recipe that got me started on my sheet pan supper kick. I made very few adjustments. We tend to prefer chicken thighs, so I substituted those, and halved baby gold potatoes, just because that’s what I had on hand. I also used a bit more ginger, a little less salt & olive oil, and a couple minor seasoning changes. Serve with any leftover yogurt on the side (nobody will know it isn’t sour cream – “Trust me on this”.) You can find the Smitten Kitchen version here, and a printer-friendly version of my recipe at the bottom of this page.

¼ cup chopped cilantro (Deb’s recipe suggests cilantro, parsley or mint, or a mix thereof – I might try the mint next time along with the cilantro. I love cilantro and mint!)

* Since I first posted this recipe, I’ve eliminated Garam Masala from my spice cabinet. My spices had reached 3 figures in number, so I needed to downsize. I ditched a couple that I hardly ever used, and many of the combinations, figuring I could substitute individual ingredients for those. So, if you don’t have any Garam Masala, simply substitute the following:

½ tsp ground cumin (in addition to above, for a total of 1¼ tsp)

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

slightly rounded ⅛ tsp cinnamon

slightly rounded ⅛ tsp ground cloves

a pinch (about ⅓ of ¼ tsp) freshly ground nutmeg [if you have the mini-measuring spoons – mine have dash, pinch, & smidgen – you can measure the pinch. If you are good at eyeballing, do that. Otherwise, use your ¼ teaspoon & eyeball ⅓ of it]

a pinch of ground cayenne

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 10 ingredients (ginger through turmeric) and 1/2 tsp of the salt in a baking dish.

2.) Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to a day in the fridge. Turn the chicken halfway through, if you remember.

3.) Line a half-sheet pan with foil (I bought this one locally, for less). Here’s the fun part: dump the spuds, cauliflower, & chunked onion on the pan, add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, olive oil, and cumin seeds, & toss the whole mess with your hands to coat all the veggies. Olive oil is good for your skin!

4.) Nestle the chicken pieces in between the veggies. You can discard the leftover marinade, or spread it on the chicken and/or veggies. Pop the pan in the oven and roast for about a half hour to 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through – 165° on a meat thermometer.

5.) While dinner cooks, put the onion slices in a small bowl with a pinch of salt & the lemon juice.

6.) When everything is done cooking, sprinkle the cilantro over all. Serve with the onion slices & a dollop of yogurt. Yum!

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 425°. Combine ginger through turmeric and 1/2 tsp of the salt in a baking dish.
2.) Add the chicken pieces and coat evenly. Marinate 15 minutes, or up to a day in the fridge. Turn the chicken halfway through, if you remember.
3.) Line a half-sheet pan with foil. Dump the vegetables on the pan, add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, olive oil, and cumin seeds, & toss to coat.
4.) Nestle the chicken between the veggies. Roast for 30 – 45 minutes, until chicken is done.
5.) While dinner cooks, put the red onion slices in a small bowl with a pinch of salt & the lemon juice.
6.) Serve with cilantro, red onion slices, & a dollop of yogurt.